Novel Full Chapter 2200 - Visiting the Mountain
Chapter 2200 – Visiting the Mountain
The bamboo forest swayed, its leaves rustling in the wind.
The distant sea of clouds churned, scattering the colorful, dreamlike radiance of the heavens.
Ninth Elder Tie Wenjing suddenly said, “Xiao Jian, how about you come to my Little Pine Peak to continue your cultivation?”
Su Yi was briefly stunned. “Do you think staying on Spirit Bamboo Peak will lead to trouble?”
“I’m sure of it!” Tie Wenjing said staunchly. “You refused to serve as the sect leader’s weapon. In doing so, you’ve irrevocably offended him.
“At times like these, there’s no need for the sect leader to say anything. Those wholeheartedly intent on sharing his burdens, as well as those hoping to occupy Spirit Bamboo Peak for themselves, are sure to kick you while you’re down.
“That aside, the third elder is one of the sect leader’s most capable followers, and worse, he’s your direct superior. If he wants to teach you a lesson, he has ample opportunities, and he can do so without giving you anything to find fault with him over!”
Here, Tie Wenjing’s gaze grew solemn. “I dare say with certainty that if you insist on staying on Spirit Bamboo Mountain, you’ll be in for big trouble!”
Mo Yong nodded along. “You’re no longer useful to them, so you’re longer qualified to occupy Spirit Bamboo Peak. Better to just directly give up on it.”
Su Yi chuckled. “If I just back down like that, it’ll only make me seem inept. Everyone will be emboldened to trample all over me. No, I can’t let that happen.”
Tie Wenjing was about to say something when Su Yi laughed. “Rest assured, Elder Tie. I’m a newcomer, with no foundations, no roots, and no backer. What do I have to be afraid of?”
Tie Wenjing let out a deep sigh but made no further attempts to persuade him. Mo Yong didn’t say anything, either.
Su Yi drank a sip of wine, then gazed into the distant sea of clouds.
He didn’t tell Tie Wenjing, but he was actually rather eager for trouble! He could use it as an opportunity to establish his prestige.
Then, everyone in the sect would know that he wasn’t some soft persimmon they could squeeze at whim!
Su Yi had other plans, too. He needed to prove his strength. The stronger he was, the firmer his position in the sect, and the greater his influence!
If he built up enough influence, the sect leader and grand elder would think twice before making any future attempts to suppress him.
After all, they’d risk displeasing the entire sect. That would, in turn, negatively impact their prestige.
What would happen if an extraordinary god of the Creation Realm was repeatedly oppressed and ostracized? How would the disciples yet to achieve divinity feel upon seeing that?
Of course, that was on the precondition that he proved his strength and became a “celebrity” within the sect!
Only the reputable had the influence needed to make the whole sect pay attention. Then, that attention would grow into admiration, respect, and reverence!
Of course, it would lead to envy, slander, and rumors, too.
But to Su Yi, influence was influence, whether it was good or bad. It was enough that he established his prestige.
……
That very day, word of what happened on Spirit Bamboo Peak spread, stirring up uproar throughout Qingwu Divine Court.
This clash between the grand elder and the sect leader had long since drawn attention. Numerous people were watching from the shadows.
As for Xiao Jian and Mo Yong? They were no more than pawns.
But this outcome was entirely unexpected. Ninth Elder Tie’s intervention had neutralized the conflict and ruined the hidden power struggle behind it!
Mo Yong had even gone so far as to publicly renounce his position as vice palace master of Wandering Sun Palace!
This outcome shocked even some of the sect’s crafty old-timers.
“He didn’t want to work for the sect leader, but useless pawns are inevitably abandoned!”
“Just you wait. Xiao Jian’s in for it this time.”
“How could Mo Yong be so foolish? It might seem like he jumped out of the chessboard, but in practice, he’s offended both the grand elder and the sect leader. He’s an idiot! A complete idiot!”
“It seems we’ll have to keep our distance from Mo Yong going forward to avoid bringing trouble upon ourselves, too.”
…The whole sect was talking. Su Yi could guess what they were talking about, but he didn’t care. Paltry waves like this weren’t even worth discussing.
But this incident did at least deepen Su Yi’s understanding of Qingwu Divine Court.
The sect’s high elders and other such old-timers all lived deep in seclusion. They almost never paid any heed to worldly affairs.
Unless something of the utmost importance happened, they wouldn’t get involved in the sect’s internal affairs, either.
Still, no one would dare to overlook their existence.
Furthermore, there were two camps in the sect’s current power struggle.
One was led by Sect Leader Liang Lingxu. Most of the inner court elders stood in his camp, as well as some of the other high-ranking authorities, like the elders of the scripture repository and the teaching palace.
The other camp was led by Grand Elder Wei Zhong. He had several inner court elders on his side, too.
More importantly, Wei Zhong controlled Wandering Sun Palace!
Wandering Sun Palace wielded vast authority. Practically all of Qingwu Divine Court’s territories in the Southern Flame Divine Continent, as well as the sect’s subordinate factions, answered to Wandering Sun Palace.
Most of the factions under Qingwu Divine Court’s leadership looked to Wei Zhong for leadership.
Simply put, within Qingwu Divine Court, the sect leader’s camp had an advantage.
However, the grand elder’s camp had an advantage outside the sect.
The two camps fought, sometimes openly, sometimes in secret. By now, they got along like fire and water.
Su Yi had run afoul of this storm immediately after joining Qingwu Divine Court. This was the influence of the ongoing power struggle.
The sect’s two highest authority figures are fighting to such an extent, yet the old monsters in seclusion in the forbidden ground on the back mountain haven’t intervened. It seems… they’ve tacitly agreed to let this happen…
But then, that makes sense. In their eyes, this inner conflict is a good thing. The fiercer the conflict, the easier it is to filter out the truly capable.
If the sect were harmonious, it would be like a pool of stagnant water. That would mean that something had gone terribly wrong…
Su Yi quickly reached this conclusion. He’d founded sects in many of his past lives, and he’d killed the founders of numerous other sects. How could he not understand how they thought?
The way the sect’s old-timers saw it, maintaining a sect was much like raising poisonous worms in a jar. The more brutal the conflict someone overcame, the more capable they were of taking on major responsibility!
……
Who could have imagined that just two days after the curtains fell on the incident at Spirit Bamboo Peak, Grand Elder Wei Zhong would take action?
He agreed to Mo Yong’s request, stripping him of his position as vice palace master.
That aside, he rescinded Mo Yong’s right to residency on Red Mist Peak and arranged a new position for him as deacon of the Hall of Welcoming!
It might have sounded good on paper, but in reality, Mo Yong would just be standing guard over the sect’s gates and welcoming its guests.
It was one of the lowliest positions in the entire sect. All they did was welcome and see off guests. Compared to a vice palace master, the difference in status was as enormous as the distance between heaven and earth!
Many of the sect’s members responded solemnly. “The grand elder is killing the chicken to warn the monkeys!”
Wei Zhong was trying to warn the others. This was the punishment for disloyalty!
Meanwhile, that very day, a group of the sect’s yao gods took a trip to Spirit Bamboo Peak.
They included Li Xiaoyun, a deacon of the Teaching Palace, Deacon Qian Hu of Wandering Night Palace, Outer Court Elder Yue Sanshan, and Inner Court Dao Protector Sun Beidu, among others.
Almost all of them had important positions, and their ranks included no shortage of dazzling, heaven-defying figures.
For example, Deacon Li Xiaoyun was the seventh of Sect Leader Liang Lingxu’s legacy disciples, as well as a former divine son of Qingwu Divine Court!
And Qian Hu was one of Third Elder Ku Zhen’s confidantes. He was immensely powerful and famed throughout his sect for his ruthlessness.
Now, all of these yao gods were visiting Spirit Bamboo Peak at once. Everyone realized that yet another storm targeting Xiao Jian had arrived!
“Come on, let’s go watch!”
“After today… Xiao Jian’s reputation will be in shambles, and he’s sure to get kicked off Spirit Bamboo Peak!”
Many of the sect’s prominent experts were startled into action. They left their respective territories and headed for Spirit Bamboo Peak.
“I heard that Deacon Xiao Jian had an impressive performance at the Spring and Autumn Dao Assembly, but even now, no one except the Ninth Elder has seen his combat skills for themselves.”
“Given his cultivation and status, he’s in no way qualified to monopolize Spirit Bamboo Island. He’s really in for it this time!”
“Quick, let’s go see what happens!”
Those disciples who particularly enjoyed a spectacle came running to.
In Qingwu Divine Court, “visiting a mountain” had always been a euphemism for challenging someone to a duel!
You “visited the mountain” to resolve enmities, to vie for rank and authority, or to compete for benefits and opportunities.
Qingwu Divine Court tacitly permitted this. There were even a few arenas specifically designated for resolving such conflicts!
The light of the heavens was bright and clear.
A dense crowd had gathered at the foot of Spirit Bamboo Mountain, a mix of high-ranking authorities from different departments, as well as both inner and outer court disciples. It was an incomparably lively scene.
Mo Yong was there too. When he saw this, he couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. He was in much the same boat.
Today, he’d been exiled from his former residence and assigned a role welcoming guests. He’d already endured countless taunts and jeers.
Even those sectmates he’d considered his friends had distanced themselves from him.
Less than a day had passed, but Mo Yong already understood how it felt to fall from grace. As the saying went, “A tiger exiled to the plains is bullied even by dogs!”
Mo Yong sighed. Now it’s your turn, Xiao Jian… Not even the ninth elder will be able to intervene this time…
Visiting the mountain was a clash of the Grand Dao. No one was permitted to interfere!
Suddenly, Mo Yong noticed that those nearby had distanced themselves from him, and some of the juniors were even looking at him pityingly…
Mo Yong’s heart ached, and his eyes dimmed.
“What does a moment’s frustration matter? Once you’ve gotten accustomed to being overlooked, you’ll naturally be able to take it calmly,” Ninth Elder Tie Wenjing said gently. He’d come too. “Later, you’ll discover that so-called ‘authority’ is nothing but empty titles and trivial benefits!”
“Empty titles and trivial benefits, huh…?” Mo Yong repeated. He couldn’t help but sigh and shake his head.
It was easy for Tie Wenjing to say that, but Mo Yong had just lost his former rank and glory, becoming a dragon confined to a shallow pool. Now, even shrimp could tease him.
Of course he cared! How could he not?
A voice boomed like thunder.
“Xiao Jian, we’ve come to visit your mountain. If you’ve got the guts, come out and face us!” someone shouted in a voice that boomed like thunder.
Someone at the foot of the mountain had just issued a challenge.
All eyes were instantly upon him. They recognized the speaker as Deacon Qian Hu of Wandering Night Palace!